The present disclosure relates generally to electroplating and etch methods. More particularly, and in some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to methods for rinsing working electrode during an electrochemical process, such as electroplating and etching.
Microelectronic devices, such as semiconductor devices, imagers, displays, storage media, and micromechanical components, are generally fabricated on and/or in microfeature wafers using a number of processes that deposit and/or remove materials from the wafers. Electroplating is one such process that deposits conductive, magnetic or electrophoretic layers on the wafers. Electroplating processes, for example, are widely used to form small copper interconnects or other very small sub-micron features in trenches and/or holes (e.g., less than 90 nm damascene copper lines). Electropolishing is another process that removes material from a wafer, e.g., working electrode. In both of these processes, an electrical current is passed between the wafer and one or more counter electrodes in a manner that deposits or removes material from a surface of the wafer.